Wrench.



UNITED STATES ATENT union.

WALTER A. WOLFE, OF kKANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,217, dated December 31, 1901.

Application tiled July 23, 1901. Serial No. 69,381. (No model.)

T0` @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER A. WOLFE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lrVrenches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wrenches, my improvements being applicable indiderently to pipe wrenches, as shown, or monkeywrenches; and my object is to produce a simple, strong, durable, and inexpensive wrench of that class which increases its grip on an object in proportion to the increased power applied by the operator and embodies means whereby reverse movement imparted to the handle by the operator completely withdraws its movable jaw from engagement with the object in orderthat the Wrench may be positioned for a new grip or may be entirely disengaged from the object.

With this general object in View the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a central longitudinal section of a wrench embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line III III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section of a modified construction.

Referring to the drawings in detail, where like reference numerals designate corresponding parts, 1 designates the shank or body portion of a wrench, the same being of substantially U shape in cross-section, so as to provide a longitudinal groove 2, which is reduced in depth at its front end to provide the shoulder 3 for a purpose whichA hereinafter appears. At its rear end its side walls are prolonged in the form of ears 4, while at its front end it terminates in a rigid jaw 5,

which jaw in a pipe-wrench will preferably be of right-angle form, as shown, with its gripping-surfaces serrated, as at 6, and provided with angular recesses 7.

A8 designates a pair of gu1dep1ns mounted in and bridging the space between the Walls of the shank and engaging the obtuse-angle slots 9 of a reciprocatory bar 10. Vhen the wrench is not in Ause or when its movement is being reversed preparatory to taking anew grip on an object, said bar rests upon the bottom of the groove, with the front ends of the oblique portions of its slots embracing the guide-pins, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1. Then it occupies its operative position, as shown in full lines, said figure, the rear ends of the longitudinal portions ot the slots engage the guide-pins, which are assisted in holding the bar in this position by the shoulder 3, the front end of the bar being reduced in thickness, as atll, to permit of this engagement of the parts in the proportions shown. The outer edge of the bar is provided with ratchet-teeth, as at 12, and its rear end with an arm 13, pivotally linked, as at 14, to the opposing arm 15 of a handle 16, said handle being pivoted, as at 17, to and between ears 4' and preferably reduced to form a metallic shank 1S and a recessed shoulder 19 at each side of the same, said shoulders being adapted to receive the ends of wood handle-strips 20, secured to the opposite sides ot` shank 1S by screws 21these recesses 19 coperating with the screws in holding the handle-strips in place.

22 designates a sleeve iitting slidingly on the shank 1 and formed with a toothed rib 23, projecting into groove .2 and engaging the teeth of bar lO, and with a jaw 24, which jaw constitutes the movable jaw of the wrench and is preferably in a pipe-wrench of rightangle form, with its points 25 of reduced thickness, so as to enter recesses 7 when an object sufficiently small is grasped between the jaws. By forming said jaws of rightangle form it is obvious that the object, if a pipe, is grasped at four equidistant points and that in consequence the strain is equally distributed and counteracting, the result being that there is practically no possibility of crushing the pipe, as frequently occurswith ordinary pipe-wrenches. For this reason I prefer jaws of the type shown, though it will be understood that the particular forin of said jaws does not control the means by which the movable jaw is adj usted, as said -means will operate in conjunction with straight or curved lthe power applied on the handle.

jaws with the same facility and convenience that it operates the jaws shown.

When the wrench is engaged with an object and is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. l, it will be apparent that the hinged handle applies pressure endwise on the bar through the medium of arms 15 and 17, and thereby holds the movable jaw against the object with a pressure proportionate to On reversing the movement of the wrench there is a slight pivotal action of the handle, which through the medium of link 14: draws bar 10 away from the object clamped and then out of engagement with the movable jaw, which partook of the first movement of said bar, because interlocked therewith, and released its grip upon the object. As the disengagement of the bar and movable jaw takes place the operator slides the jaw away from the object as far as desired, so that the wrench can be adjusted for a new grip or totally disengaged. In the former case the movable jaw is irst advanced until it about engages the object, and then the operator by swinging the handle from the position shown in dotted to the position shown in full lines causes bar 10 to move toward and interlock with the movable jaw and then move said jaw until the object is clamped tightly between the jaws, the same sweep of the wrench which causes jaw 24 to engage the object being continued to turn the same.

In Fig. 4C I show a modified construction wherein bar l0 reciprocates without lateral movement. The movable jaw 24 is provided with a toothed dog 26, pivoted therein and v held by spring 27 in engagement with the bar in order that movement imparted to the latter will likewise advance or withdraw the movable jaw, independent movement of the latter being accomplished only after the operator'has thrown said dog out of engagement with the toothed bar, it being of course necessary to hold it out of engagement until the movable jaw has been adjusted to the point desired.

From the above description it will he apparent that I have produced a wrench which is efficient in operation, and it is to be understood, of course, that while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of the invention it is susceptible of modification in various particulars without depart-ing from the principle of construction involved and that I reserve the right to make all changes which properly fall within the scope of the appended claims. y

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a wrench, a shank having a stationary jaw at one end and a pivoted handle at the other, a reciprocatory bar lmounted on the shank, a link loosely pivoted to the handle and bar to permit the former as moved forward to engage and move the latter,and adapted to withdraw the latter as the handle movement is reversed, and an adjustable jaw mounted on the shank and movable with the reci procatory bar, substantially as described.

2. In a wrench, a shank having a stationary jaw at one end, a reciprocatory bar having a pin-and-slot connection with the shank, a movable jaw mounted on the shank and adapted to be advanced by said bar, and a handle pivotally linked to said bar, substantially as described.

3. In a wrench, a shank having a stationary jaw at one end, a reciprocatory bar having a pin-and-slot connection with the shank, a movable jaw mounted on the shank and adapted to be advanced by said bar, a handle adapted to force said bar forwardly, and a link loosely connecting the handle and bar to draw the latter rearwardly as the movement of the handle is reversed, substantially as described.

4. In a wrench, a shank having a stationary jaw, a toothed bar having a pin-and-slot connection with the shank, a movable jaw mounted on the shank and adapted to be advanced by and be Withdrawn independently of the toothed bar when desired, and a handle hinged to the shank and linked to the bar and adapted to advance or withdraw the latter, substantially as described.

5. In av wrench, a grooved shank, a stationary jaw at one end of the same, a movable jaw slidingly mounted on the shank and provided with a toothed rib projecting into the groove ot' the shank, guide-pins bridging the groove of said shank, alongitudinal bar in the shank, provided with obtuse -angle slots engaging said guide-pins, the rear portion of said slots extending longitudinally, teeth on the edge of said bar most remote from the base of said groove, and means for advancing said bar and causing its teeth to engage the toothed rib of the movable jaw or for withdrawing said bar and disengaging its teeth from said rib, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WALTER A. WOLFE.

Vitnesses: H. G. RoDGERs, G. Y. THORPE.

IOO 

